Trackrat: Memoir of a Fan is written by Hartford Courant editorial cartoonist Bob Englehart Jr., who lives in Middletown.
Courtesy photo

MIDDLETOWN >> Editorial cartoonist Bob Englehart recently released his first memoir, Trackrat: Memoir of a Fan, in which he explores the world of short track racing and America’s obsession with it.

After witnessing 27-year-old racer Shane Hammond’s tragic accident at Thompson International Speedway in 2008, Engelhart knew he wanted to write a book to make sense of it all.

Although accidents are rare in racing, they do happen, but this was the first death on the race track this Middletown resident had ever witnessed.

“I wrote this because I had to,” he stated at the Hartford Public Library book launch. “I felt like I had to come to some understanding of what had happened because I was so traumatized.”

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After taking a year to research and three years to write, Englehart has found that his book has not only helped him come to terms with the tragedy, but has also helped others in their grieving process as well.

“I wanted to write about it to make sense of things and so that other people could; and what I’ve found is that a lot of other people are finding some healing in this.”

As he was writing, Engleharts wife, Pat, suggested he also write about the unique aspects of his childhood and how he developed his love for racing. With no deadline or time restraint, Englehart decided to embed some of his childhood memories growing up in Indiana.

His love for art started when he was 6 years old and bedridden in bed with the rheumatic fever. Engelhart would pass his time by painting and drawing everything from racecars to circuses and cowboys. Despite the year-long illness, Engelhart was able to develop his own artistic skills and his passion for art grew.

Later on, his parents divorced, leaving him and his brother with a certain stigma as they grew up with no dad in the house. Although this changed the family dynamic, he would join his family in outings and began going to the race track once or twice a week, which ultimately led to his love for the sport.

Having completed his first memoir, Engelhart plans to write another book in the future, possibly one with a collection of his cartoons.

He states his inspiration for his drawings comes from Bill Mauldin, an editorial cartoonist during the Second World War.

“I would always like his cartoons because they felt fun. It was the only sense of humor I could relate to.”

Even in high school, Engelhart knew he wanted to be an editorial cartoonist and set a goal for himself to open his own art studio by the age of 27.

Although he enjoyed his studio, he asked himself, “Is this all there is?”

After being involved with several papers, Engelhart to Connecticut and joined the Hartford Courant, becoming the Courant’s first full-time editorial cartoonist.

“I think it’s cool to reach people every day,” he states, “I’m going to do this till I drop.”

Engelhart states that he draws two types of cartoons, the powerful, which will either “piss you off, make you cry, or call you to arms;” and the absurd humorous ones.

“I think it’s cool to reach people every day. I show people they’re not alone. They think, here’s a guy that thinks the same way I do and I’m not crazy.”

Englehart will be holding his next book event at the Mark Twain House Museum Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. where there will be racecar drivers as well as a panel discussion.